Introduction
The genus Geodorum Andrews
[Orchidaceae-Epidendroideae-Cymbidieae-Eulophiinae], a genus of
terrestrial orchids, is represented by 12 species (Chase et al. 2015;
Mabberley 2017) in the world and distributed in Indo-Malayan region and
West Pacific (Mabberley 2017). Singh et al. (2019) reported 5 species ofGeodorum from India and among these G. laxiflorum Griff.,
a ‘Vulnerable’ species [VU B2ab (i,ii,iii,iv), Bhatt & al., 2015]
of the genus, is endemic to India. The species is known to occur in
Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Odisha,
Telangana and Maharashtra (Bhoyar et al. 2022). During field surveys in
Hualtu Range, Tawi Wildlife Sanctuary, Mizoram, India, two of the
authors (SC and Shuv. S) collected a few specimens (vegetative) of a
terrestrial orchid in March, 2021 which flowered in the rooftop plant
conservatory of the Central National Herbarium (CAL), Botanical Survey
of India (BSI), Howrah in June, 2022. Further, one of the authors (SM)
collected a few specimens (flowering) of Geodorum sp. from
Garh Jungle forest of Paschim Bardhaman district of West Bengal, India,
in June 2022 and brought the same in live condition to CAL for study and
identification. Both the gatherings after detailed study were identified
as G. laxiflorum , a hitherto unreported species from Mizoram and
West Bengal in the wild. While studying the live-specimens we observed
significant variations in some floral parts and also observed presence
of microscopic cellular hairs on the adaxial surface of labellum which
is not being described in most of the published literature. Further, the
lectotypification of G. laxiflorum by Bhatt & al. (2015) is
superseded and a lectotype is designated here for the name in the
present treatment. The name Eulophia diffusiflora M.W. Chase,
Kumar & Schuit. is treated here as a synonym of G. laxiflorum as
the later has the priority over the former and as on date E.
diffusiflora is not conserved.